The present invention relates to a collapsible shelter apparatus for use in a truck bed.
Pick up trucks are increasingly being used for a variety of outdoor activities including camping. As such there is a need for shelters that can be mounted in, or upon the back of pick up trucks that enables the occupants to sleep comfortably while being sheltered from the weather and the exterior environment. A number of such shelters have been developed. Most common are variations of a hard-bodied camper with a fiberglass or aluminum shell that is bolted or chained to the truck bed. Such hard-bodied campers are complex and expensive, and heavy making removal and storage inconvenient. These hard-bodied campers also remove the ability for any form of cargo storage in the truck bed. Another common form of shelter involves a fixed fiberglass or aluminum roof over the sidewalls of the truck bed. These forms of shelter are heavy and are difficult to remove and they limit the sleeping space to the width and length of the truck bed.
Other forms of collapsible shelter have been developed, some of which employ the use of a central frame with a canvas or fabric cover. However, such shelters generally offer limited sleeping space, are complex and awkward to raise, and are difficult to remove and store when not in use.
There is need in the art for a lightweight collapsible shelter that is economical to produce, that is easy and convenient to erect, that offers generous sleeping space, and which is easy to install and remove when it is not being used.